Heart attacks have been the leading cause of death in the United States for over a century.
While most current treatments aim to break down blood clots after they’ve already formed, researchers at Georgia Tech have made a groundbreaking discovery: a way to stop blood clots from forming in the first place.
This new approach centers around a drug called N-acetyl cysteine (NAC), which is already widely used for other medical purposes, such as treating acetaminophen overdoses.
NAC has been shown to completely prevent the formation of blood clots without increasing the risk of bleeding—a major concern with many existing treatments.
Because NAC is already an approved medication, it could be made available to patients much sooner than a completely new drug requiring FDA approval.
In the future, NAC could help high-risk patients avoid second heart attacks and also prevent other serious conditions caused by blood clots, such as strokes and embolisms.
The findings, published in the journal Arteriosclerosis, Thrombosis, and Vascular Biology, offer new hope for addressing one of the deadliest health issues of our time.
How Blood Clots Form
Blood clots are necessary to stop bleeding when you’re injured, but when they form unnecessarily, they can block blood flow to the heart or brain, leading to a heart attack or stroke.
Most current treatments use anti-platelet drugs to prevent clots, but these medications often come with serious risks, such as excessive bleeding.
“Doctors face a tough choice,” said David Ku, a professor at Georgia Tech. “We can give you a drug to help prevent a second heart attack, but that same drug might cause dangerous bleeding.”
The researchers at Georgia Tech took a different approach by targeting a protein called von Willebrand factor (VWF). This protein acts like a sticky thread that holds blood clots together. Normally, VWF stays coiled up, but when it unravels, it grabs platelets to form clots.
Stopping Clots Before They Start
The Georgia Tech team used NAC to break down VWF before it could form clots. Unlike previous research that focused on using NAC to dissolve clots after they formed, this study aimed to stop the process entirely.
The team tested their idea using a small model of a narrowing artery, simulating conditions that can lead to a heart attack or stroke. NAC successfully prevented blood clots from forming. They then tested it in mice, with the same promising results.
NAC has several advantages: its effects last up to six hours after leaving the bloodstream, meaning it continues to protect against clot formation even after it’s metabolized. It also has a strong safety record, making it a good candidate for repurposing.
“NAC is already used in clinics, so we know it’s safe,” said Christopher Bresette, a postdoctoral researcher on the team. “Repurposing an existing drug means we can bring this treatment to patients faster.”
A Future with Fewer Heart Attacks
The researchers believe NAC could be especially helpful for patients who have already had a heart attack and are at high risk of another one shortly afterward. An intravenous (IV) dose of NAC could lower this immediate risk, while a daily pill could be developed in the future to provide long-term protection.
The potential applications of NAC go beyond heart attacks. It could help prevent strokes, embolisms, and other blockages caused by blood clots.
With clinical trials and FDA approval, NAC could soon become a vital tool in preventing some of the world’s deadliest medical emergencies.
This discovery offers a new way to save lives by focusing on prevention rather than just treatment. For millions of people at risk of heart attacks and strokes, NAC could represent a safer and more effective solution for managing their health.
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